1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to the field of garments. More particularly, it concerns a garment capable of covering the upper torso of the wearer.
2. The Background Art
Garments have long been used for protection and as an indication of life style. Garments of differing sizes and shapes have evolved to meet the various protection and fashion needs of people including protecting the wearer from the elements and providing a wearer with a sense of comfort corresponding to their personal level of modesty. It is well recognized that garments have a number of uses.
Some garments are purely decorative or ornamental. However, purely decorative or ornamental garments offer usefulness and versatility.
A number of garments have developed in the prior art which, through their shape and size, lend themselves to specialized uses. One of the most widely known garments has been the bib, which is worn by people of all ages to protect clothing from falling food while the wearer is eating or drinking. Typically, a bib comprises an opening in a sheet of material for the wearer's head. Because bibs are often placed on small children, bibs are usually structured so that they may be placed on and removed with minimal effort. Additionally, bibs are designed to protect the front of the wearer, with substantially no material draped over the back and shoulders of the wearer.
In the prior art, other garments are known to have been devised to protect clothing, including: weightlifter's vests, hair cutting capes, mammography capes, dental patient hoods, and a number of bib-like chest protectors. None of these garments are known to have slots formed in sheet of material for receiving the wearer's arms. Additionally, none provide a hole for receiving the wearers head and protection for the shoulders as well as the back and front of the upper torso.
A substantial number of the garments (particularly protective garments) in the prior art cover the wearer to the waist or below. These garments lack the advantages of a garment which protects the upper torso, yet does not unnecessarily cover the lower body of the wearer. For example, a garment which covers the wearer to the waist or below may be undesirably warm or restrictive. Such clothing may be slow and awkward to put on or take off, and may be too heavy for warm weather.